Automobile bed



July 8, 1924. 1.500372 F. W. HORTON AUTOMOBILE BED Filed July 26. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet l July 8. 1924. 7 1,500,872

' F. W. HORTON AUTOMOBILE BED.

Filed July 26, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1924.

unrrrn stares" FRED W. HORTON, 015 ELDORA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJ. H. HADLEY, OF

WATERLOO, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE BED.

Application filed July 26, 1921. Serial No. 487,602.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED VJ. HORTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at EL dora, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Beds, ofwhich r the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with equipment useful in conjunction with motorvehicles, primarily touringcars or the like, for set ting up in the carin a very handy and complete manner provisions constituting a bedadvantageous to be used by tourists for sleeping while en route.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ what might becalled knockdown bed equipment 'in autos, somewhat after the mannerproposed according to my invention. Previous equipment of this class,however, has been of rather complicated construction involving quite afew parts, including adjusting bolts, screws and the like, also supportsor rails of somewhat difficult construction from a manufacturingview-point, rendering the equipment somewhat expensive to make andsomewhat complicated as tov adjustment. It has therefore been my objset, in devising the improvements of this invention, to .secure aconstruction which is highly rigid in so far as its supporting strengthis concerned, and oneof the parts of which are of peculiar formation togreatly simplify the propositions of manufacture and expense so astoenable the equipment to be sold at a relatively low price.Furthermore, Ihave so designed the several parts of the bed structureso'as to permit the same to beexpeditiously set up and taken down aftera night of sleep thereon.

A full comprehension of my lnvention and the merits thereof will be hadupon reference to the following detailed construction in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings,

in which: I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a touring car ofconventional type illustrating my invention applied thereto, and VFigure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of thesame taken beneath the topof the motor vehicle to show more clearly the mounting of thesupportingrails, mode of attachment of the same, and V the v arrangementand method of supporting the flexible bodyforming said rails. I j

vertical extension l of said section.

a part of the bed in conjunction with Figure 3 is a longitudinalsectional view of one of the side rails bringing out more clearly itspeculiar construction.

Figure fis a perspective view of the flexible bed body.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3. Y

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the socket members toengage the rear end of each rail.

Throughout the following detailed description and on the several figuresof the drawing, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

In carrying out my invention I utilize certain parts such as heretoforeproposed for equipment of the type hereinbefo-re referred to, said partsbeing of peculiar special construction however. In the drawings I showthe employment of side rails which are of similar construction, eachbeing composed of front and rear sections 1 and 2, respectively. Thefront section 1 is hollow so as to receive telescopically the rearsection 2. At its front end the front section is formed with a forwardly extending hook 3 projecting from a The rear section 2 is formedwith an upwardly and rearwardly curving supporting arm 5 provided at itsrear extremity with a clownwardly projecting lug 6. The arm 5 and thehook and extension parts 3 and 4 are provided upon their under surfaceswith pads 7 to prevent marring or injury in any way to the portions ofthe vehicle with which they are engaged when the bed is set up for use.I contemplate applying to the uppermost portions of the rear seat of themotor vehicle which is generally designated at A, small socket memberssuch as shown at 8 in Figure 7, which socket members are permanentlyattached to the vehicle by screws 9 or the like. T helugs 6 on the arms5 of the rails are adapted to engage in the socket members 8 in a mannerwhich. will be selfevident.

I employ a very peculiar rigid construction in making the rails composedof the I retainthe round formation for the greater length of each railsect-ion. Where I form the extension 4 and the hook 3 of the section 1the tubing is flattened and 'slit upon the underside of the flattenedportion. The slitting of the tubing at this portion enables it to bebent with greater facility to obtain the formation of the parts 3 and 4as desired. Likewise I form the arm 5 and the lug 6 of the section 2 ina similar manner, the tubinc being flattened and slit longitudinallyupon its underside as above described.

It will be vident that a nail construction made in the manner set forthaffords a very high degree of rigidity, and moreover, the

, telescopic arrangement of the sections 1 and 2 is very advantageousbecause it eliminates the necessity of using fastenings of any sort andpermits the sections to be freely moved longitudinally relatively to oneanother, whereby to adjust them properly to fit motor vehicles in whichthe front and rear seats are not the same distance apart.

The rails when placed in position in the motor vehicle preparatory touse of the bed are so disposed that the parts 8 and at engage the backand top of the front seat and the arms 5 ext-end over and rest upon theback of the rear seat, the lugs 6 engaging in the socket member 8.

The rails are so constructed and arranged, therefore that they mayreadily support the front and rear seat cushions of the vehicle, which.as. usual are removable and are adapted to be placed upon the portionsof the rails intermediate the arms 5 and the extensions 4, the seatcushions being designated at 10 and shown in position in Figure 1. v I

In conjunction with the rails and the seat cushions arranged as abovedescribed, and shown in Figure 1, I utilize a flexible bed member orbody 11, seen best in Figures 2 and at. This flexible body member isequipped atone end with snap hooks 12 adapted to engage. with eyes 13which are carried by the arms 5 adjacent. to the lugs 6, At its oppositeend the flexible member 11 has a pair of straps 14 which are connectedwith a. reinforcing and stretching rod 15 which is received in thehemmed portion 16 of the member 11 as seen in Figure 4, said hemmedportion being cut out to accommodate the straps, as seen at 18. The rod15 is prevented fronr displacement by stitching the member 11 at'a rightangle to the hemmed portion at 18 to enable the straps 1 1 to beproperly connected with the rod 15. Attached to the flexible member 11near its rear end portion are ropes 19 or the like for connecting themember 11 with the rear bows of the top of the touring car. The straps14: are of sufiic-ient length to enable them to be passed around at thesides of the wind shield of. the car so as to pull the front end portionof the body member 11 tightly over the front seat. In practice,therefore, the body member 11 is practically level throughout its lengthwhen secured properly so as to extend over the seats 10 when carried bythe side rails.

The arrangement of the parts of my bed equipment as above describedpermits the users to sleep in the automobile in a manner which will beclearly understood. If desired, a pad may be placed upon the flexiblebed member 11, though in practice this is not necessary for suitableblankets in conjunction with the seats afford a very comfortable bedunder actual conditions of service.

A special advantage of my construction is that the telescopic sectionsof the rails come apart very quickly and may be disposed with the hookand arm portions adjacent to one another to thereby reduce the length-of the rails one-half, practically speaking. Then these rails thusdisassembled may be readily wrapped in the flexible body member 11 ifdesired and these parts thus collected and placed in a bag which Isupply, as a part of the equipment as a convenient means for coveringthe same when in collapsed condition and out of use.

Since in the use of my invention, and inventions of a similar nature, itis necessary in almost all positions of our country to have mosquitonetting to cover the heads and exposed portions of the body of sleepersusing the equipment I contemplate utilizing, an extension of theflexible body member 11 at its rear end, which extension is made ofmosquito netting and is of somewhat triangular shape in side view asshown in the, drawings, being comprised of a back portion, a topportion, and sides. This extension designated 20 is really a smallenclosure for the head and arms of the sleepers using my equipment. Atthe top, of the extension enclosure 20the same is equipped with snaphooks or some suitable fastening means to connect with the top of thevehicle or touring car A, and if desired simi lar means may be employedat the lower front portion of said extension enclosure. The saidextension enclosure 20 furthermore may be sewed or stitched to theflexible body member 11, or otherwise attached thereto, and being madeof netting material is adapted to be rolled up on the rod 15 which formsa handy means for rolling up the said member 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced socketsdisposed at the rear thereof, with independent longitudinally extendingrails having means to engage the front seat of the vehi-- cle and hookedends to removably interlock With said sockets whereby they are held inpredetermined spaced relation against longitudinal and lateral movementto support the seat cushions of the vehicle, a flexible body memberadapted to extend over said cushions When so positioned and-providedwith; means for attachment to the rear of each of said rails, and meansfor adjustably connecting the other end of the flexible body to thevehicle.

2. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced socketsat the rear thereof With independent longitudinally extensible railshaving means to engage the front side of the vehicle and hooked ends toseat in said sockets, connecting eyes upon said rails adjacent saidhooked ends, a

flexible body member provided with quick detachable means at one endforengagement with said eyes, and adjustable straps carried by the oppositeend of said body member for attachment to a fixed part of the vehicle.

3. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced socketsdisposed at the, rear thereof with longitudinally extending railscomprising freely adjustable telescoping sections having a flatseat-engaging hooked end, one of which is seated in one of said sockets,and means carried by one of said sections for the attachment of aflexible covering member thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRED W. HORTON.

